1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to hearing aids. In particular, it relates to an improved hearing aid and method that employs a combination microphone/speaker, inserted within the opening of the ear canal and sized not to obstruct the same, and the microphone situated in the bowl of the concha.
2. State of the Art
Various hearing aids and earpiece devices are known in the art. Taenzer et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,445,799B1 issued Sep. 3, 2002 provides a noise cancellation earpiece with an ear canal tube sized for positioning in an ear canal so that the ear canal is at least partially open for directly receiving ambient sounds. It is designed to send an inverse noise signal into the ear canal thereby substantially canceling the ambient noise in the ear canal. Takada, U.S. Publication No. 2003/0095677A1 published May 22, 2003 discloses a hearing aid adapted to primarily listed to a desired sound when a hearing impaired person makes conversation to others or is watching television. It employs bone conduction speakers connected with a headset yoke with a central magnetic pole surrounded by a voice coil to allow one to hear in noisy environments. Boesen, U.S. Pat. No. 6,718,043B1 issued Apr. 6, 2004 discloses a voice sound transmitting apparatus and system with a voice sound transmitting and receiving unit having an earpiece that is adapted for insertion into the external auditory canal of a user. The voice sound-transmitting unit includes a sensor, which may be a bone conduction sensor an air conduction sensor, or both. Prior to transmission, an additional processing modification or formatting of sensor output may be done. Stites, III, U.S. Pat. No. 5,208,867 issued May 4, 1993 discloses a voice transmission system and method for high ambient noise conditions employing an earpiece that fills the entire external auditory canal of a user. Stites, III, U.S. Pat. No. 5,327,506 issued Jun. 5, 1994 discloses another voice transmission system and method for high ambient noise conditions employing a similar type of earpiece that fills the entire external auditory canal of a user. Pluvinage et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,146 issued Nov. 16, 1999 discloses an ear canal microphone providing an open ear canal hearing aid system. It has a plurality of ear canal tubes sized for positioning in an ear canal so that the ear canal is at least partially open for directly receiving ambient sounds. Fretz et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,275,596B1 issued Aug. 14, 2001 discloses another open ear canal hearing aid system with the speaker positioned in the ear canal leaving it partially open. Anderson et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,704,423B2 issued Mar. 9, 2004 discloses a hearing aid assembly having a directional microphone aligned in a forward direction mounted externally to a hearing aid body, which may have an in-the-canal or completely-in-the-canal mounting. Bauman, US Publication No. 2005/0078843 published Apr. 14, 2005 discloses a hearing aid system with a receiver sized to fit within the ear canal in an open-ear configuration. Puthuff, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,181,801 issued Jan. 30, 2001 discloses a wired open ear canal earpiece with a combined microphone/speaker inserted into the ear canal with a plurality of wires, which obstructs the ear canal. Feeley et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,139,404 issued Nov. 21, 2006 discloses a BTE/CIC Auditory Device and modular connector system disclosing an interchangeable transmission lines.
Cited for general interest is the Bordewijk, U.S. Pat. No. 6,577,740B1 issued Jun. 10, 2003 disclosing a hearing aid for placement in an ear including a carrier, an enclosure, a microphone, a battery and a speaker inserted within the ear canal to totally obstruct the same. Valley et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,259,547 issued Mar. 31, 1981 discloses a hearing aid with a dual pickup for use in a high noise environment.
None of the above references provides a hearing aid with a combination microphone/speaker arrangement positioned within the concha/ear canal, which provides an open ear canal hearing aid system for use with a variety of battery powered amplification hearing aid devices.